St. Lucia of Syracuse was punished for rejecting a man –perhaps all men– and for giving her dowry to the poor. Encouraged by St. Agatha of Catania, Lucy’s faith made her so strong that neither force nor fire could destroy her.
Through ceremony that fire is understood as light in the darkness, enough light to get through the winter days. In the Nordic countries, St. Lucy’s Day comes at the time of winter solstice. Celebrations on this day include candlelit processions led by a contemporary Lucy who wears a crown of candles.
Depending what country you are celebrating in, St. Lucy’s Feast could be pasta, cookies, or special saffron buns, but while we are repurposing traditions about violence against women – a “feast” may now call for something more tender and attentive to the complexities of gender, history, and ritual.
Meanwhile, here are some cookies…
These cookies melt in your mouth. They are known in the US as “Mexican wedding cookies” but you may know them as Champagne Cookies. Of course you can also drink them with Crémant or Lambrusco …
MIX
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup soft butter
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp salt
ADD
- 1/2 cup toasted and finely chopped almonds, hazelnuts, or walnuts
- 2 cups flour
The dough may be very dry and crumbly. that’s ok.
Press into patties about .25 inch thick x 1.5 inches diameter
Bake 10-12 minutes at 375 degrees until barely golden brown on the bottom
Let cool only 5 minutes.
While STILL WARM, dunk each cookie into
- bowl of powdered sugar
Make sure it sticks well & thick. You may have to do this twice to get enough sugar attached.
Let cool before eating (these cookies don’t taste right while still warm).